ABO 



ABO 



hot and foul cow-house will now and 



then produce ahortioii, and similar to 

 those in mares. Anythin;;f whatev- 

 er, indeed, that seriously affects the 

 health of the animal in general, or 

 the state of the reproductive organs 

 in particular, may do so. But abortion 

 occurs again and again when no such 

 causes as those enumerated can be 

 traced. The disease, if such it may 

 be called, as we thinlc it may, is even 

 said to he infectious. No sooner does 

 it show itself in one animal than it is 

 seen in another and another, till it 

 has spread over the most part of the 

 cow-house. Some say tliis is to be 

 attributed to the odour arising from 

 the things evacuated. Possibly it 

 may be so ; there can be no great 

 harm, however, in acting as if we 

 ■were assured that the mischief has its 

 origin in the source so commonly sup- 

 posed, provided we do not shut our 

 eyes to any other which accident or 

 investigation may reveal. In the 

 mean time, the number of abortions 

 may be diminished by carefully avoid- 

 ing all those causes which are known 

 to be capable of producing it. Let the 

 cows be regularly fed ; let their food 

 be good, and in proper quantities ; let 

 them have water as often as they will 

 take it ; avoid sudden exposure to 

 cold or heat ; and, above all, let the 

 cow-house be well ventilated. Pro- 

 hibit all manner of rough usage on 

 the part of those who look after the 

 cows, whether they be pregnant or 

 not. If any of them accumulate flesh 

 too rapidly, gradually reduce their al- 

 lowance ; and, on the other hand, if 

 any become emaciated, discover the 

 cause and remedy it, always by slow 

 degrees. Sudden changes in the mat- 

 ter or mode of feeding should also be 

 avoided. The same sort of diet does 

 not agree equally well with all the 

 cows, and this, in general, is indica- 

 ted by undue relaxation or constipa- 

 tion of the bowels ; this should be 

 watched, and removed at once. At- 

 tention to these, and many other mi- 

 nor circumstances, will amply repay 

 the proprietor for the little additional 

 trouble. 

 It is a remarkable feature in the his- 



tory of this complaint, that those an- 

 imals that have once miscarried are 

 particularly liable to do so again at 

 the same period of their succeeding 

 pregnancy. Greater care is therefore 

 requisite to guard against those caus- 

 es which do, or are supposed to excite 

 it. The treatment of abortion, when 

 it does take place, differs not from 

 that adopted in cases of parturition, 

 only that the cow which miscarries 

 should be removed, with all that be- 

 longs to her, from among pregnant 

 cows. 



If the signs of approaching abortion 

 be discovered early, the accident may 

 sometimes be prevented. If the cow 

 is in good condition, then immediately 

 lot it be bled to the extent of five or 

 six quarts, and the bowels opened 

 with half a pound of Epsom salts, two 

 ounces of Glauber's, or three or four 

 ounces of castor oil, administered in 

 a quart of gruel ; but if the cow is in 

 very poor condition, and the miscar- 

 riage is anticipated from her having 

 been exposed to cold, avoid bleeding, 

 and give her a warm gruel drink, with 

 an ounce of laudanum in it. If after 

 this abortion does take place, let her 

 be kept in a comfortable place by her- 

 self; and if the after-birth has not 

 passed off, let no injudicious and un- 

 necessary administration of violent 

 forcing medicines be given. Nature, 

 with a little assistance, is generally 

 equal to the perfect restoration of the 

 animal. 



Abortion in the Sheep. — Ewes are 

 subject to abortion, in consequence 

 of the numerous accidents they are 

 liable to. A pack of hounds in pursuit 

 of a hare got among a flock of sheep 

 belonging to a farmer, and so hurried 

 and alarmed them, that thirty out of a 

 flock of two hundred ewes premature- 

 ly dropped their lambs. It is the same 

 in sheep as in the other cases of do- 

 mestic animals ; scarcity of food, and 

 exposure to severe cold, having a 

 great tendency to make the ewes pre- 

 maturely drop their lambs, or produce 

 them weakly and crippled at the full 

 time ; and although there may be a 

 little danger in giving too much food, 

 such as allowing them to feed all the 



